Kingdom Hearts DX
by Phoenix Neo
Summary: Kingdom Hearts...a virtual-reality game where people all over the globe meet up and play through many worlds. But is it really all it seems to be. Akira Minamino and his friends will find the truth behind the game.
1. Chapter 1

**KINGDOM HEARTS **_**DX**_

Chapter 1: The Game Begins

16-year-old Akira Minamino was running down the streets towards where his friend was waiting for him.

"Why the heck did Kimiko make me wake up at 6:00 a.m. on the first day of summer?!" he thought as he ran. "This had better be important."

He made a turn at the next corner and saw his friend waiting at the end of the street. She was wearing a black skirt and a blue, sleeveless top. She also wore black boots. Her jet-black hair was tied back into a ponytail. Her blue eyes were glaring impatiently towards Akira.

"You're late!" she exclaimed angrily. "You were supposed to be here five minutes ago!"

Akira stopped in front of his friend. He began to catch his breath.

"Sorry…I…had…to…eat…breakfast," Akira panted.

"Breakfast is no excuse for being late!" Kimiko shouted. "I'm about to show you something amazing!"

"What's so important that you had to wake me up this early?" Akira asked.

Instead of replying, Kimiko grabbed Akira's arm and dragged him into a nearby building. As they entered, Akira got a glimpse of the logo on the building. On the front of the building was a blue outline of a heart with a K and H in front of it. At the top of the heart was a small crown.

Kimiko dragged Akira through the front lobby of the building and to the receptionist.

"Welcome to Kingdom Hearts," the woman sitting behind the receptionist's desk said. "How may I help you?"

"Kingdom Hearts?" Akira asked.

"It's an awesome virtual-reality online game that was invented in Paragon Industries!" Kimiko exclaimed. "It connects game stations from around the globe together into one big game. This station came out a couple of weeks ago."

"That explains why she was sleepy during the final exams," Akira thought.

"Do you both have your Kingdom Keys?" the receptionist asked.

"Kingdom Keys?" Akira asked.

"They're kinda like memory cards for the game," Kimiko said. "It holds all of your character data. It also allows you to enter the game. No key, no game. Here's mine."

Kimiko dug in her pockets and pulled out a small pink key. Carved into the base of the key was the same logo that was on the front of the building. She then showed her key to the receptionist.

"My friend is a new player," Kimiko said. "He needs a key."

"Alright," the receptionist said. "I'll just need to input your information. Eye-color: brown. Hair-color: dark-brunette. Name and height:…"

She looked at Akira questioningly.

"Oh!" Akira realized. "Akira Minamino. 5 ft. 10 in."

The receptionist continued typing information into her keyboard. Akira just stared as she continued typing for what seemed like forever.

"And…done!" the receptionist said. She then pulled out a blue key. "Here is your Kingdom Key."

As Akira took his key, he stared at it. The same logo was carved into the base of his. He flipped it around and saw his name carved into the other side.

"Cool," Akira said.

"Take the elevator to the 5th floor," the receptionist continued. "There are two empty pods up there."

"Pods?" Akira asked.

Before he knew it, Kimiko had grabbed his arm once again and was dragging him towards a nearby elevator. Once inside, Kimiko pressed a button with the number 5 on it. The elevator began to rise up. When the elevator stopped, the door opened. Akira looked ahead as far as he could see. The entire room was just a hallway with hundreds of pods all along the side. Inside the pods were other kids and teens with their faces covered by a mask of some sort.

"The pods should be…here!" Kimiko exclaimed.

Kimiko found two empty pods that were next to each other. Kimiko pressed a red button that was on the left pod. The glass window on the pod opened up and she stepped inside.

"Get in yours," she said as the lid to hers closed.

Akira walked over to the right pod and found the same red button. He pressed it, and the pod opened up. Like Kimiko, he stepped inside the pod. The moment he got inside, the lid closed. A strange screen appeared on the glass of his lid.

"Welcome," a digital voice said. "Insert your key into the slot."

Akira looked around and found a key-slot to his right that resembled that of a car. He stuck the key inside and turned it. The slot lit up with a blue light. The screen then changed.

"Welcome, new player," the voice continued. "You are about to experience the latest in gaming technology. Kingdom Hearts is a virtual-reality game that will separate your mind temporarily from your body. A download mask will appear before you. Please place it on."

An opening appeared to his left. A mask emerged from inside. Akira did just what the voice told him. The moment he placed the mask on, the voice continued.

"Data Dive will now commence in 3…2…1," the voice finished.

Akira felt a strange sensation as the world completely blacked-out. The next thing he knew, he was flying through a strange blue vortex.

"This is cool!" Akira said. "It feels so real!"

The end to the vortex came closer and closer until Akira flew right through it. He landed softly onto a glass-like floor. On the floor was the image of a strange boy. He had spiky hair and a giant key. He was surrounded by the images of other strange people: a silver-haired boy, a red-haired girl, a duck, and a dog. The glass was stained green.

"This is strange," Akira said to himself.

"Step forward," a mysterious voice said.

Akira did as the voice said. Akira saw as three stone pillars magically appeared around him. On the pillars were three weapons: a sword, a shield, and a staff.

"If you give it form…it will give you strength," the voice continued. "Choose well."

Akira began to think.

"So I can only choose one," Akira said. "Well…heroes usually wield swords. I'll take that."

Akira walked towards the sword and picked it up.

"The power of the warrior," the voice continued. "Invincible courage. A sword of terrible destruction. Is this the power you seek?"

"Sure," Akira said.

The three pillars disappeared along with the remaining two weapons. The floor then shattered. Akira screamed as he fell downwards. He landed onto a purple glass floor…this time, not as softly.

"That hurt," Akira groaned as he rubbed his butt in pain.

This glass floor was the same as the other one, except stained purple instead of green. He looked around and saw that dark pools began to form on the ground.

"There will be times you have to fight," the voice continued. "Keep your light burning strong!"

The dark pools took form. They became strange black creatures with yellow eyes and long antennae.

"What?!" Akira exclaimed.

The monsters charged straight for him. Akira swiped at them with his sword. He managed to slice through them easily. As he sliced the creatures, they vanished. He continued to fight them off one-by-one until they all disappeared.

"This is fun," Akira said. "It's like I'm actually fighting them!"

Meanwhile, back in reality, a young woman in a white lab-coat was watching a screen. She had blonde hair tied back in a bun and blue eyes. She wore glasses over her eyes. The screen showed many versions of the same map. Each map was of the area that Akira was in and had pod numbers underneath them.

"The tutorial program is going smoothly," she said to another of the programmers.

A man in a white lab-coat walked over to her. He had slicked-back, light-brown hair and brown eyes. He was watching the screen. He watched as the yellow player-dots were destroying the black enemy-dots.

"Man," he said. "Are we sure these kids are newbies, Carmen? They're kicking ass."

"The tutorial program is meant to be easy, Jacob" Carmen said. "That's why it's called the _Tutorial_ program."

"Right," Jacob said.

Back in the game, Akira watched as a door appeared at the end of the platform.

"I guess I go through there," Akira said.

Akira walked towards the door. The moment he reached it, however, the door disappeared.

"What the?" Akira said.

He then turned around and saw a set of stairs climbing upwards.

"I guess I go up," Akira said.

Akira walked towards the stairs and began to climb up it. Back in the real world, the two programmers were watching the screen.

"Check that out," Jacob said.

They were watching the screen that said "pod 124." The player-dot was walking away from the blue door-dot.

"Isn't he supposed to go _into_ the door?" Jacob continued.

"That's strange," Carmen said. "I'll send him a message."

She typed on her keyboard, but pod 124's screen changed into static.

"His pod became unresponsive!" Carmen shouted.

"Get that kid out of there!" Jacob exclaimed.

"Do you know the meaning of _unresponsive_?!" Carmen asked angrily.

"Then what do we do?" Jacob asked.

"Call Mr. Paragon," Carmen answered. "Maybe he'll know what to do."

Meanwhile, Akira was climbing up the stairs. He climbed higher and higher until he reached the top. He stepped onto yet another platform like the previous two. This one was stained red. Akira looked as a light appeared before him. As he walked towards the light, his shadow grew larger and larger.

"The closer you get to light, the greater your shadow becomes," the mysterious voice said.

Akira turned around and saw that his shadow was rising up. It began to take the shape of a gigantic, black creature.

"But don't be afraid. And don't forget."

Akira began to run towards the stairs. The moment he reached the staircase, it disappeared. Akira found that he had no choice but to fight."

The monster slammed its fist towards Akira. Akira managed to dodge the punch, but a dark puddle formed around the monster's fist. Small black creatures rose up from the puddle. Akira began to slice at the monster's fist as well as the little creatures. After all of the smaller creatures were gone, Akira ran up the giant's arm and jumped up above it. He then sliced down onto its head. The monster roared with pain as Akira's attack landed. Akira landed on the ground in front of the monster.

"Ready for Round 2?!" Akira asked.

Just then, his sword disappeared.

"Don't go now!" Akira screamed fearfully at his unarmed hand.

A dark puddle appeared below him. Akira slowly began to sink into the puddle.

"But don't be afraid," the voice said once again. "You hold the mightiest weapon of all."

The darkness completely engulfed him.

"So don't forget: You are the one who will open the door to light…"


	2. Chapter 2

**KINGDOM HEARTS **_**DX**_

Chapter 2: Welcome to Traverse Town

Carmen was busily typing on her keyboard in an attempt to reconnect with terminal 124. The door to the room opened up, and Jacob and another man entered the room. The new man had long, midnight blue hair, a black suit, and sunglasses.

"Mr. Paragon!" Carmen exclaimed.

"What seems to be the problem?" Mr. Paragon asked calmly. "I was busy with some paperwork when Jacob knocked on my door."

"Pod 124 has become completely unresponsive," Carmen answered as she returned to her keyboard. "No matter what I try, I can't seem to reconnect to it. We don't know what has happened to the boy inside."

Mr. Paragon walked right over to the computer and examined the screen for pod 124.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Mr. Paragon said. "It seems fine to me."

Carmen and Jacob looked at the screen once again. The screen showed a new map with the yellow player-dot merely standing there.

"But…it…how?" Carmen stuttered.

"Unless we have an emergency, please do not disturb me," Mr. Paragon said. "I'm very busy. If you'll excuse me."

Mr. Paragon then left the room.

"It _was_ unresponsive, right?" Carmen asked Jacob.

"I thought it was," Jacob answered.

The two of them continued to stare at the screen for pod 124. Meanwhile, inside the game, Akira slowly regained consciousness. He found himself lying in an alleyway.

"Ow," Akira groaned as he rubbed the back of his head. "What happened."

Akira then looked down and noticed his clothes. He was now wearing a red shirt with a large, yellow coat on top of it. He wore black pants and black tennis shoes. Next to him was something even stranger.

"A giant key?" Akira thought as he stared at this new object.

It was a sword-sized key with a square-shaped grip. The key had two teeth at the end of it. Staring at the key, he remembered the image on the glass where he battled the giant black creature.

"That boy was holding a key just like this one," he thought, examining the key. "There's no use worrying about it now. I'd better get out of this alley."

Akira began to make his way out of the alley and into the open. The moment he left the alley, the number of people in the area surprised him. He was in a strange city filled with hundreds of teens and kids. Some wielded different kinds of weapons, ranging from staffs to shields. There were also all kinds of shops scattered throughout the area.

"This is cool," Akira thought.

"There you are!" a familiar voice shouted.

Akira turned towards the direction the voice came from. Kimiko was standing there, far across the area. She ran up to Akira, who immediately got a good look at her. Her hair was no longer in a ponytail. It flowed back behind her. There was a black headband behind Kimiko's bangs. She wore a sleeveless, black martial-arts top with matching black pants. She wore a black boots, dark-grey socks, and black sandals. On her back was a large shuriken-star.

"You're late again!" Kimiko shouted. "It shouldn't have taken you this long to take out those weak Heartless."

"Heartless?" Akira asked.

"The black, bug-like monsters with yellow eyes," Kimiko answered. "The ones that could be taken out in only a few swings."

"What about the giant one?!" Akira exclaimed. "That one took forever to kill!"

"Giant one?" Kimiko asked. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"The giant monster that emerged from my shadow when I was walking towards the light!" Akira answered. "It's not easy to forget."

"There's nothing like that in the tutorial," Kimiko said. "Stop joking around."

"But I did…" Akira began.

"No time!" Kimiko exclaimed. "Let's hurry and get your supplies so we can start leveling up!"

Kimiko grabbed Akira's arm and dragged him into a nearby shop. After purchasing basic healing items, the two of them left the store.

"So where do we go to level up?" Akira asked.

"The Second District," Kimiko answered.

"Second what?" Akira asked.

"The area where we are now is the First District," Kimiko said. "There are a total of three districts. The second and third are filled with Heartless. Those two places are perfect for leveling up."

Before Akira could say anything, Kimiko dragged him up a few stairs and into another part of town. The moment they entered that area of town, Akira looked ahead and saw something strange. Several black blobs began to form on the ground. The blobs rose up and transformed into the creatures that he fought back in the earlier area.

"Shadows," Kimiko said. "They'll be easy to beat. CHARGE!!!"

Kimiko ran straight ahead. She kicked some Heartless away. She then sliced the remaining with her large shuriken. Akira watched in awe as Kimiko kept fighting on. He suddenly noticed a few of the Shadows appearing behind him. The creatures rose up from the black blobs and attacked him. Akira swung his large key and knocked a few of the monsters away.

The two of them continued fighting in this way for a while. As they fought the Heartless, Kimiko and Akira continued their conversation.

"So you wield a Keyblade, huh?" Kimiko said as she sliced several Heartless.

"Is that what this thing is?" Akira asked.

"Of course," Kimiko said. "It's a pretty good weapon. It's highly adaptable. By getting different key-chains, the weapon can change form and gain new abilities."

"Cool," Akira said.

The two kept knocking down the Heartless. Standing on top of a building were three players who were watching them. One was large and muscular, one was small and meek, and the third was an average-sized teen.

"They're pretty good, but not as good as you, Boss," the large one said.

"Yeah, Boss!" the small one said. "You could kick their butts in an instant."

The third man was silent for a moment.

"Maybe we should test them," he said eventually.

He held out his right arm, and a Keyblade appeared in his hand out of nowhere. Meanwhile, the Heartless stopped spawning, allowing Kimiko and Akira to get some rest.

"That was pretty good for your first time," Kimiko said.

"Thanks," Akira answered.

Suddenly, the three players that were standing on the roof jumped down in front of them. Akira got a good look at them. The small one was wearing a wizard outfit, including a large, pointy hat, and was wielding a staff. The larger one wore thick armor and wielded a shield. The third man wore a black shirt, black pants, white shoes, and a chain for a belt. The Keyblade he wielded was much unlike Akira's. It was blazing red and was shaped like a wave of fire.

"The name's Gofure," the third man said. "These two are Meek..." (He pointed at the small teen) "and Largo" (He pointed at the large one).

"What do you three want?" Kimiko asked.

"Just a friendly fight between Keyblade wielders," Gofure answered. "I want to see if you really are worthy of wielding the Keyblade."

"I thought we fought Heartless," Akira said to Kimiko.

"Players can challenge other players to battle," Kimiko replied. "It really keeps the game interesting."

"So do you accept my challenge, Keyblade wielder?" Gofure said.

"The name's Akira!" Akira shouted. "And I accept!"

"Then prepare for a duel like no other, Key-Keeper!" Gofure exclaimed as he got into a fighting stance. He pointed the tip of his Keyblade towards Akira, preparing to perform a thrust. Akira saw this and got into a fighting stance as well.

Before Akira knew it, Gofure thrust straight towards Akira. Akira barely managed to get his Keyblade up in time for a block. Akira then attempted to take advantage of this moment and strike Gofure. Gofure swiftly slipped out of the way as Akira swung down. Gofure then swung his weapon like a bat and hit Akira in the ribs. Akira was sent crashing into a wall.

"Ow…" Akira thought as he held his ribs. "I felt that. This game is more dangerous than I thought."

Gofure charged once again towards the downed Akira. Akira barely dodged this thrust. Gofure created a huge hole in the wall where Akira just was.

"That could've killed me!" Akira screamed.

"That's the point," Gofure said.

Gofure then quickly pulled out his Keyblade and thrust towards Akira once again. Akira parried this attack, but Gofure continued his assault with multiple swings and thrusts. Akira somehow managed to block every strike, but he was never given a chance to strike back. Gofure eventually burst through Akira's defense and struck him directly with a series of harsh blows. Akira fell to the ground.

"Akira!" Kimiko screamed.

Akira looked up and saw Gofure standing above him. Gofure looked disappointed.

"This fight is over," Gofure said. "You aren't worthy of the Keyblade. Come on, guys."

Meek and Largo followed Gofure as they left the Second District, heading for the third. Kimiko ran over to help Akira stand up.

"It's alright, Akira," Kimiko said. "Everyone loses once in a while. You did well for your first player-versus-player fight."

"I guess," Akira replied. "That guy was tough."

"Come on," Kimiko said. "I'm taking you back to the First District before anymore Heartless show up."

Kimiko and Akira left the Second District, heading back to the first.


	3. Chapter 3

**KINGDOM HEARTS **_**DX**_

Chapter 3: Third District

Akira and Kimiko were eating dinner in a pub in the First District. On their table were a variety of foods, including pork, potatoes, corn, etc.

"How can we taste this food?" Akira asked as he shoveled some pork into his mouth. "I thought this was all virtual."

"I'm not sure how it works," Kimiko replied. "Somehow, the pods feed you in the real world as you eat in the virtual world."

After they were finished, Kimiko took one last swig of her drink and slammed her cup down.

"Now let's get ready for some more training," Kimiko said. "One loss is no reason to just sit around and eat all day."

"I know," Akira said. "Let's go back to the Second District, now that we've eaten."

As the two of them stood up, a loud siren could be heard in the air.

"ATTENTION! ATTENTION!" a female voice sounded. "EXTREME HEARTLESS INVASION IN THE THIRD DISTRICT. ALL NEW PLAYERS ARE ADVISED TO STAY AWAY."

The siren continued to sound as such for two more times until it shut off. Kimiko looked excited.

"This is our chance!" Kimiko exclaimed. "A Heartless invasion is a great way to level up!"

"But didn't the siren-lady just say that new players should avoid the Third District?" Akira asked.

"Don't worry," Kimiko said. "You're with me. The two of us can handle a simple Heartless invasion. Now let's go!!!"

Kimiko dragged Akira out of the pub as fast as she could. The two of them soon found their way to the Third District. Akira looked around and couldn't believe his eyes. Hundreds of Heartless were spawning continuously before them.

"This will be awesome!" Kimiko exclaimed. "CHARGE!!!"

Kimiko rushed out into the Heartless crowd brandishing her shuriken.

"Wait up!" Akira shouted as he tried to chase after her.

Akira took only a few steps before he was surrounded by the Shadow Heartless. Akira pulled out his Keyblade and began to fight them off. As he knocked them down, more appeared in their place. After a while, a new form of Heartless appeared near him. They were taller, had blue and red bodies, red claws, a heart-shaped insignia on their chests, and a metal helmet that resembled that of a knight.

The "Soldier" Heartless charged straight for him, jumping in the air and slashing at him with their claws. He began to fight them off with his Keyblade. Eventually, the amount of Heartless that attacked him began to reduce. As soon as he could, Akira made his way towards where Kimiko ran. He found that the Third District was much larger than he thought.

"Just where the heck is she?" Akira thought.

Akira found a large area with a fountain. Standing there were Kimiko, Gofure, Meek, and Largo, fighting off an army of Soldier Heartless.

"These things won't stop spawning, Boss!" Meek said.

Gofure sliced another Soldier Heartless in half.

"No problem," Gofure said. "They keep spawning, and we'll keep bashing them down."

A Soldier Heartless jumped up from behind Gofure. Akira sliced it with his Keyblade and destroyed it.

"Why are you here?" Gofure asked when he saw Akira.

"That's a nice way to say thanks," Akira said.

"Where were you?" Kimiko asked as she sliced up another Heartless.

"I was fighting off some Heartless," Akira answered as he knocked a Soldier Heartless away like a baseball.

Suddenly, the Heartless stopped attacking. Everyone kept his or her guard up, just in case.

"What's happening?" Akira asked. "Why did they stop attacking?"

"I don't know," Kimiko replied.

"Boss?" Meek asked Gofure.

"Something bigger must be coming," Gofure said. "Like the calm before the storm."

Suddenly, the Heartless were all sucked together as if a tornado pulled them together. They began to swirl around and around in the air until they became a big, black twister.

Back in reality, Jacob and Carmen were monitoring the game. Jacob suddenly had a look of confusion on his face.

"Hey, Carmen," he said.

"What?" Carmen asked.

"Traverse Town is a low-level area, right?" Jacob said.

"Of course," Carmen said. "It was made for new players."

"Could you explain the level 30 Heartless appearing in the Third District?" Jacob asked.

"What?!" Carmen exclaimed as she rushed over to Jacob.

Jacob immediately pointed out one screen. It showed a level 10 player, a level 8 player, two level 7 players, and a level 6 player all facing down a level 30 Heartless in Traverse Town's Third District.

"How can this be?" Carmen asked as she typed on the computer's keyboard. "I can't even find out what kind of Heartless it is!"

Meanwhile, in Traverse Town, the black twister began to take shape. It transformed into a being made up of black armor. Its arms, legs, and head were separated from its torso. On its chest was the same insignia found on the Soldier Heartless.

"What the heck is that?!" Akira exclaimed.

"I don't know," Kimiko gasped.

The large Heartless began to stomp towards the group.

"MOVE!!!" Gofure shouted.

All five of them jumped out of the way of the monster's path. Gofure then lunged the point of his Keyblade towards the creature's torso.

"Taste this!" Gofure shouted.

His sword merely bounced off of the creature's armor. The monster's flying right arm then slammed Gofure into the ground.

"Boss!" Meek and Largo exclaimed.

The monster prepared to strike down towards Gofure one more time. Just before it hit, however, Akira managed to jump in, grab Gofure, and roll out of the way.

"You alright?" Akira asked.

"That was a stupid thing to do," Gofure said.

"You really suck at giving thanks," Akira said.

"Get moving!" Gofure shouted.

Akira and Gofure jumped out of the way just as a flying arm came straight at them. Back in the real world, Carmen and Jacob were trying to figure out what was happening.

"I've got something!" Jacob exclaimed. "The creature is called Dark Armor. Now what is that?"

"I'm not sure," Carmen replied. "Wait! Didn't Mr. Paragon once mention creating Heartless designs that didn't get added in the end?"

"Yeah, but what does that…" Jacob began.

"What if this is one of those Heartless designs?" Carmen asked.

Jacob was completely silent.

"Call Mr. Paragon," Carmen said. "Tell him that it's important!"

Meanwhile, the five fighters continued to fight off the Dark Armor. Whenever they struck the armor's chest, however, Dark Armor merely spun its arms around its body and knocked them away.

"None of our attacks are working!" Kimiko exclaimed.

"Every time we hit its body, its arms flail around and hit us," Meek said.

"What if…" Akira thought.

He then charged forward.

"You idiot!" Gofure shouted. "That thing's unbeatable!"

As Akira drew closer, the Dark Armor swung its arm towards him. Akira merely slipped out of the way and charged straight for its leg. After striking the leg a couple of times, the leg disappeared. A bunch of strange, green orbs came out. Whenever Akira touched the orbs, he felt fully refreshed.

"Guys!" Akira shouted. "Aim for its limbs!"

They began to nod until they suddenly had a look of surprise on their face.

"Look out!" the four of them shouted.

Akira turned around and got whacked by one of the arms. He was sent flying straight in front of the rest of the group.

"To think, you looked so cool for a minute," Kimiko groaned.

"He did have a good idea," Gofure said. "Everyone, charge!"

Akira got up, and the five of them charged for Dark Armor. Largo used his shield and crashed into the second leg, after which Meek cast a _Thunder_ spell and destroyed it. Kimiko threw her shuriken, which spun around the right arm like a saw and completely destroyed it. Gofure lunged at the left arm and struck it with the point of his blade. After a couple more swings of his sword, the arm was destroyed. Akira jumped into the air and made for the head.

"Now for the kill!" Akira shouted as he sliced downwards.

The torso split in two and was completely destroyed.

"Alright!" Akira exclaimed.

Back in reality, Carmen and Jacob dragged Mr. Paragon into the main computer room.

"See!!!" Carmen shouted.

Mr. Paragon stared at the screen.

"What level 30 Heartless?" Mr. Paragon asked. "All I see are five players. No Heartless."

Carmen and Jacob stared at the screen. Only the five players were on the screen. All five of them had leveled up.

"But…but…but," Carmen and Jacob stuttered together.

"I told you to leave me alone unless it was important," Mr. Paragon said angrily. "I really have a lot of work to do!"

Mr. Paragon stormed out of the room.

"He seemed upset," Jacob said the moment Mr. Paragon left the room.

"We've disturbed him twice for nothing," Carmen said. "I would be pissed off too."

"But I don't get it," Jacob said. "We _did_ see that Heartless, right?"

"Of course we did," Carmen said. "Those players must've beaten it."

"Five level 10 and under players took down a level 30 Heartless," Jacob said. "It doesn't sound easy."

"It doesn't sound easy, but I guess it's possible," Carmen said.

Back in the game, Gofure and Akira stood face-to-face.

"You're not half-bad," Gofure said as he held out his hand.

"You too," Akira said as he shook it.

"Forget what I said before," Gofure said. "You are worthy of that Keyblade you hold. I hope to battle you again someday. See you two later."

Gofure and his team left the Third District and went back to the First District. Akira and Kimiko then fell to their knees, exhausted.

"That was tough," Kimiko said. "But it was cool."

"Yeah," Akira said.

Suddenly, something began to glow above them. They looked up and saw what looked like a giant glowing keyhole. Akira's Keyblade began to glow as well. Akira pointed the tip of the Keyblade toward the keyhole. A beam of light shot from the tip of the blade and into the hole. Akira then heard a click, and the hole disappeared.

"What just happened?" Akira asked.

"I'm not sure," Kimiko said.

Suddenly, a small red block bounced in front of Akira's feet. He picked it up and began to examine it.

"What's this?" Akira asked.

Kimiko looked at the block, smiled, and snatched it from his hand. She examined it further, and her smile widened.

"Akira," Kimiko said. "Tomorrow, I'll show you something cool. For now, let's head home!"

Kimiko ran to the First District to log-off of the game. Akira looked confused for a minute. He then ran to the First District as well.


	4. Chapter 4

**KINGDOM HEARTS **_**DX**_

Chapter 4: Another World

Akira logged into the game the following day. He looked around Traverse Town's First District for Kimiko.

"Where the heck is she?" Akira asked himself. "I wonder what was so important."

He remembered how he got up this morning. He was sleeping cozily in his bed when, suddenly, his phone began to ring. He lazily got up and brought the phone to his ear.

"Hello?" he yawned.

"Akira!!!" Kimiko shouted through the phone.

Akira reflexively tore the phone from his ear. When the ringing in his ear stopped, he carefully brought the phone back to his ear.

"Kimiko," Akira said as he looked at his clock. "It's 6 a.m. Why are you up this early in the summer?"

"Meet me at the game in two hours!" Kimiko answered. "I've got something cool to show you!"

"What do you…" Akira began. But Kimiko had hung up before he finished.

Without any knowledge about what was happening, Akira decided to continue looking for Kimiko.

"I could log-out, and she'll never know," Akira said.

Before he could initiate the log-out, Kimiko rushed by him, grabbed his arm, and began to drag him.

"You're late!!!" Kimiko shouted.

"Late for what?!" Akira exclaimed when he figured out what was happening.

"The thing I wanted to show you!" Kimiko answered. "It's this way!"

Kimiko dragged him through a large door in the front of the First District. The moment they opened the door, a large light emerged from it and engulfed them. When the light faded, Akira opened his eyes and found that they had entered a new room. In the center of the room was a large vehicle of some sort. It looked like a space ship or a plane. It was made up of large blocks and had what looked like cannons and guns on the sides. As Akira looked around, he found that they were in a ship-hangar. In front of the ship was a large doorway.

"What is this?" Akira gasped.

"This, my friend, is the main inter-dimensional transportation in the game!" Kimiko happily announced. "This is the Gummy Ship!"

Akira stared in awe at the large ship.

"Wait," Akira said. "Did you say 'inter-dimensional'?"

"Of course," Kimiko said. "The Gummy Ship allows players to travel across worlds."

"Worlds?!" Akira exclaimed.

"You didn't think that Traverse Town was the _only_ world in the game, did you?" Kimiko asked.

"To tell you the truth…" Akira began.

"I've been building this baby since I first started playing the game," Kimiko said. "I was missing one piece: the Navigational Gummy."

"The what?" Akira asked.

"That red block that you found last night," Kimiko said. "With that piece, we can now travel to another world!"

"Let me get this straight," Akira said. "You spent a couple of weeks searching for a small cube which I found in one night. And that cube allows us to go across worlds."

"Exactly!" Kimiko exclaimed. "Now then…ONWARD TO ADVENTURE!!!"

Kimiko shoved Akira into the ship. She immediately followed him. Kimiko got into the ship's cockpit. Akira found a nearby seat.

"Buckle your seatbelt," Kimiko said. "This is going to get fun."

"Have you ever flown a…" Akira began.

"BLAST-OFF!!!" Kimiko shouted as she pressed a red button on the control-panel.

The ship began to shake. The door in front of the ship opened up. They then flew through the door at an extreme velocity. Akira, unfortunately, didn't have a chance to buckle his seat belt. As the ship flew forward, he was launched backwards to the back of the ship. He could feel the speed of the ship pound on him as he was forced into the back.

"And…we…are…through!" Kimiko exclaimed. "We have safely reached Pseudo-space.

The ship began to slow down, allowing Akira to safely make his way back to his seat. He then buckled his seatbelt. He looked to the right and through a window on the side of the ship. He saw the darkness of space, glittered with many stars.

"This is amazing!" Akira exclaimed as he looked outside.

"We have bogeys ahead," Kimiko said.

"What?" Akira asked.

The ship suddenly began to shake crazily. Akira looked outside of the window once again and saw ships with the Heartless insignia on them. These ships were firing towards them.

"Firing main cannons!" Kimiko shouted.

She pressed a button on the side of the steering wheel. The cannons outside of the ship fired lasers towards the enemy ships. The enemy ships began to retaliate. Kimiko immediately turned the steering wheel sharply to perform a barrel roll in order to dodge. After avoiding the attacks, Kimiko fired more lasers at the ships, effectively destroying them.

"Prepare to exit Pseudo-space," Kimiko said.

Akira saw a large world ahead of them. It was a red-and-pink-checkered planet with strange plants and buildings around it.

"Cool!" Akira exclaimed.

When they got close to the planet, a bright light flashed. When the light faded, they were inside of the Gummy Hangar again.

"How did we…" Akira began.

"Hurry up!" Kimiko exclaimed as she dragged Akira out of his seat and out of the ship. She went to the door of the hangar, opened it, and walked through. It took them a moment before they realized that…

"THERE'S NO FLOOR!!!" Akira exclaimed.

The two of them began to fall into oblivion. They fell faster and faster down into the darkness. Soon, they began to slow down. They fell slower and slower until it seemed as if they were weightless. They saw the bottom below them. The moment that their feet touch the ground, gravity seemed to return to normal.

"That was cool," Akira said.

They looked at their surroundings. The room seemed completely empty except for a table with two bottles on top of it, one blue and the other red, and a door.

"I guess we should go through the door," Akira said.

He opened the door and found a smaller door behind it. He opened this door and found an even smaller door. He kept opening doors which got smaller and smaller until he reached one that wasn't even big enough for a mouse.

"What the hell?" Kimiko asked.

"This door is too small," Akira said.

"No, you two are just too big," the doorknob said.

Akira and Kimiko jumped back in shock.

"It can talk?!" Kimiko gasped.

"Of course I can talk," the doorknob yawned angrily. "Now why did you wake me up? I'm very sleepy! Now if you'll excuse me, I'd like a bit more sleep."

"Wait!" Akira exclaimed. "How can we get small enough to go through you?"

"Why don't you try the blue bottle?" the doorknob answered.

Akira walked over to the blue bottle and drank the liquid inside. He suddenly shrank down to a size that matched the door.

"What?!" Kimiko exclaimed.

"Now I can fit through the door!" Akira shouted so Kimiko could hear him. "Your turn!"

Kimiko drank from the bottle as well and shrank down to the same size as Akira. The two of them then walked do the door and went through it. On the other side of the door was a forest. The two of them began to walk through the woods.

"This is strange," Akira said. "Where are the Heartless or the other players?"

"Most players remain in Traverse Town to chat with their friends," Kimiko answered. "About the Heartless…I don't know. Maybe there are no Heartless in this part of the world."

Before Akira could say anything else, he saw a giant white rabbit wearing a red vest, orange shirt, black tie, and grey pants running by on two feet and staring at a pocket-watch.

"I'm late!" the rabbit shouted frantically. "I'm LATE! I should be there, but I am here! The Queen will have my head for sure!"

"Do you think we should follow the rabbit?" Akira asked.

"Anything to get the plot going," Kimiko said.

Akira and Kimiko chased the rabbit until they saw an outdoor court filled with walking playing cards wielding spears. The rabbit that Akira and Kimiko had chased climbed up a staircase onto a platform. After catching his breath, he pulled out a bugle and blew into it.

"Court is now in session!" the rabbit announced. "Her majesty, the Queen of Hearts presiding!"

Akira and Kimiko looked toward the other end of the court. Sitting in the platform where a judge would normally be was a fat woman with a crown, holding a scepter with a heart-shaped tip.

"She's _royally_ huge!" Akira whispered to Kimiko.

"Shhh!" Kimiko shushed Akira. "Who's the defendant?"

They looked towards a cage to the Queen's left with a cover on it. When the cover was lifted, inside was a girl. She had long, silvery-blue hair with deep-blue eyes. She wore a dark-blue dress with golden edges. In her hand was a staff with a moon-shaped tip. Akira couldn't stop staring at her flawless face. Her body was perfectly shaped. On her feet was a pair of blue shoes.

"She did it!" the Queen shouted. "This girl is guilty! Start the sentencing! Off with her head!"

"Hold it!" Akira shouted.

Everyone turned to face him.

"What the hell are you thinking?!" Kimiko whispered.

"What exactly is she guilty for?" Akira asked, completely ignoring Kimiko.

"Who are you?!" the Queen angrily shouted.

"Please answer my question, your majesty," Akira said. "The court needs to know the crime before any punishment is made."

"If you _MUST_ know," the Queen said, "this girl is guilty for assault and attempt at my heart!"

"What?!" Akira and Kimiko exclaimed.

"A crime like this cannot go unpunished!" the Queen shouted. "Off with her head!"

"Objection!" Akira shouted.

"What is it this time?!" the Queen asked.

"She isn't the culprit!" Akira exclaimed. "It was the Heartless!"

"Ha!" the Queen scoffed. "The Heartless have been gone for a long time! If you have proof of this supposed Heartless infestation, bring it at once."

Akira paused for a moment.

"Well…I…don't have any…evidence," Akira said quietly.

"Then…" the Queen began.

"But I can get evidence!" Akira immediately interrupted. "Give me time to find some!"

"Fine!" the Queen replied angrily. "If it will shut you up, I will give you three hours to bring me evidence. If you do not, I will chop off _ALL_ of your heads!"

"Deal!" Akira said.

"Deal?!" Kimiko exclaimed.

"You two have three hours!" the Queen shouted.

Akira ran up to the girl's cage.

"Don't worry," Akira said. "I'll have you out in no time."

"Who are you?" the girl asked.

"Akira Minamino," Akira answered.

The Queen's card-servants covered the cage once again.

"I promise I'll be back!" Akira said to the girl.

He then ran back to Kimiko.

"ARE YOU MENTAL?!" Kimiko shouted angrily.

"We only have three hours," Akira said. "Let's hustle!"

Akira began to rush into the woods. Kimiko followed him, confused by the fact that she was the one following him.


	5. Chapter 5

**KINGDOM HEARTS **_**DX**_

Chapter 5: Wonderland

Akira and Kimiko wandered through the woods, looking for clues of the existence of the Heartless in Wonderland. Kimiko was unhappy with Akira's deal with the Queen of Hearts.

"Three Hours?!" Kimiko shouted. "We don't even know if there **are** Heartless in this world! And we're doing this for a girl we don't even know! As far as we know, she could be a NPC!"

"But it still isn't fair!" Akira replied. "Even if she was a NPC, she still deserved a fair trial! That Queen acts like there are no rules!"

"She's the Queen!" Kimiko angrily yelled. "She makes the rules! If she doesn't want any rules, there aren't any rules! And where the hell are we?!"

Akira and Kimiko looked around. They were in a part of the woods that they didn't know about.

"Just great!" Kimiko screamed. "We're lost in the woods! How the hell did you expect us to get back in three hours, let alone with evidence?!"

"I think I can help," a voice echoed from around them.

Akira and Kimiko looked around for the source of the voice. They soon saw a floating, bouncing cat head. The cat kept disappearing and reappearing in different locations around them. They soon saw the cat's body balancing itself on its head on top of a large leaf.

"That is freaky!" Kimiko exclaimed.

"You two look lost," the cat said. "The Cheshire Cat might be able to help."

"Can you tell us where to find Heartless?" Akira asked.

"Maybe I can," the Cheshire Cat answered. "Maybe I can't."

"Which way do we go?!" Kimiko asked.

"This way," the Cheshire Cat said gleefully, pointing to the right. "Or maybe this way? Maybe you could go up? Can you humans fly?"

"THIS CAT IS GIVING ME A MIGRAIN!!!" Kimiko shouted, holding the sides of her head in pain.

"Before I go, keep going straight and you'll find the Mad Hatter's Tea Party," the Cheshire Cat said. "But straight which way? And will you find what you need?"

The Cheshire Cat slowly disappeared.

"I guess we should go find that Tea Party," Akira suggested.

"That stupid cat didn't even give us a straight answer," Kimiko rebutted. "We don't even know where this Tea Party is. And if we do find it, there's a chance that this advice is a wild goose chase!"

"It's the only lead we've got," Akira said. "We've got to hurry. We only have two hours left!"

Akira ran straight ahead, with Kimiko running behind him. They soon found a clearing in the woods, where there was a long table surrounded by chairs waiting for them. On the table was everything one would find at a tea party, including cake, tea, plates, bread, and more. Next to the tea kettle was a note. Kimiko picked up the note and read it.

"A Very Happy Unbirthday," Kimiko read. "Sit in a chair and receive your Unbirthday gift."

"What the heck's an Unbirthday?" Akira asked.

"Who knows?" Kimiko replied. "Let's just sit down and get this over with."

Akira found a seat at the end of the table. Kimiko sat down two seats from him. After they were completely settled down, the chairs fell backwards. They got up to find that an army of Shadow and Soldier Heartless were spawning around them.

Akira and Kimiko drew their weapons and began to fight off the army. Kimiko hopped onto the table and threw her shuriken. The shuriken carved through the Heartless like butter before flying back into her arms for another throw. Akira beat down the Heartless one-by-one with his Keyblade. When they started to surround him, he grabbed the tea kettle from the table and sprayed hot tea onto the Heartless. While the Heartless were distracted, Akira sliced through them. When only one Heartless remained, Kimiko sliced off its antennae and then killed it. Kimiko found a box on the table and placed the antennae into it. She then closed the box.

"Too easy," Kimiko said.

"We got the evidence we need!" Akira happily cheered. "Now let's head back."

Akira and Kimiko looked around.

"Only question is…where do we go?!" Kimiko asked.

"I'd say we follow the Cheshire Cat's advice and keep going straight forward," Akira suggested. "So forward we go!"

Akira began to run forward. Kimiko followed right behind him. Unbeknownst to either of them, someone was watching them from the trees. Back at the court, everyone waited for the two heroes. With one minute left, the Queen was impatiently tapping on her podium.

"This is enough!" the Queen shouted. "I am the Queen here! Start with the head chopping!"

"WAIT!!!" Akira shouted from outside of the court.

Everyone in the courtroom stared at Akira and Kimiko as they ran up to the court.

"We're on time!" Akira shouted. "And we have the evidence we need!"

Akira handed the box to one of the card-servants, who immediately brought it to the Queen. The Queen examined the box, pulled out two boxes just like it, and shuffled the three boxes.

"Pick a box," the Queen said after she effectively shuffled the boxes. "The box you pick will decide the decision of this trial."

"But that's not fair!" Akira exclaimed.

"I am the Queen!!!" the Queen shrieked angrily. "I make the rules! Pick a box, or I'll consider all three of you guilty!"

"Fine," Akira said. "I'll pick a box."

Akira began to look at the box for any slight difference that would show which box was his. He concentrated on the three boxes deeply. After a minute of silence, Akira pointed to the center box.

"That's the one," Akira said. "I'm sure of it."

The Queen lifted the lid of the center box. It was the Heartless box, but a whole Heartless popped out of the box. The Queen screamed in fear as the Heartless bounced towards her. She knocked it away with her scepter. The card-servants stabbed the Heartless as it landed on the ground. Everyone then stared at Akira and Kimiko. The Queen looked upset.

"KILL THEM!!!" the Queen shouted. "OFF WITH THEIR HEADS!!!"

The cards began to surround Akira and Kimiko. The two of them began to knock down their opponent's one-by-one. As they knocked down the cards, the cards stood back up.

"These things are endless!" Kimiko complained.

"Kill them now!" the Queen shouted.

Suddenly, a rock was thrown seemingly from nowhere and hit the Queen on the head, knocking her out. The cards ran to help their Queen. Akira took this chance to free the girl from the cage. With one slice of his Keyblade, the cage was torn open.

"Come with us," Akira said as he held out his hand.

"Ok," the girl answered, taking Akira's hand.

The three of them then escaped before the cards could come after them. When they were safely in the woods, the three of them stopped to rest.

"Thank you," the girl said.

"No problem," Akira said. "By the way, as I told you before, my name's Akira Minamino."

"And I'm Kimiko Kamiya," Kimiko said. "What's your name?"

"Luna," the girl answered.

"That's a cool name," Akira said. "Where are you from, Luna?"

"I'm not sure," Luna answered. "All I can remember is my name. I don't even know how I got here."

"Amnesia?" Kimiko said.

"Maybe we can help," Akira said. "You can travel around with us."

Both Kimiko and Luna seemed surprised by Akira's sudden statement.

"I don't want to impose…" Luna began.

"It's no trouble at all," Akira said. "By the looks of your staff, you must be a magician of some sort. We could use magic on our side. You agree, right Kimiko?"

"I guess," Kimiko answered.

"Then it's decided," Akira said. "Welcome to the team!"

He held out his hand towards Luna. She hesitated at first but Luna shook Akira's hand.

"Alright!" Akira happily cheered. "Now then…where's the ship?"

Akira and Kimiko looked around. Neither of them knew where they were at the moment.

"WE'RE LOST…AGAIN!!!" Kimiko shouted.

Her voice carried through the woods. Suddenly, the Cheshire Cat's head bounced into view. The rest of his body soon followed after.

"If it isn't the kids again," the Cheshire Cat said. "You really know how to get lost, don't you?"

"Can you tell us where our ship is?" Akira asked.

"I could…" the Cheshire Cat said. "But the question is…will I?"

Kimiko let out a scream of frustration.

"I'd rather wander aimlessly than listen to this freak-cat anymore!" Kimiko screamed.

"You can trust the Cheshire Cat," the Cheshire Cat said. "I will lead you to your ship."

His body disappeared. He reappeared about a yard away. Akira, Luna, and Kimiko began to follow him. When they got close, he disappeared and reappeared farther away. As they followed the cat, a mysterious man watched them from above.

The Cheshire Cat led the three heroes to a door in the middle of the woods.

"The way is through this door," the Cheshire Cat said. "I guarantee that you have to go through this door to reach your ship."

"Thanks," Akira said.

The Cheshire Cat had a huge grin on his face as he disappeared. Akira, Luna, and Kimiko stepped through the door. On the other side of the door was a pitch-black room.

"Where do we go?" Kimiko asked.

The Cheshire Cat appeared above them. He had a huge grin on his face.

"Do you want to know something interesting?" the Cheshire Cat asked. "No matter how much light you put in a room, there are always some shadows."

Suddenly, he snapped his fingers, creating a small flame. He then threw the flame to his right. Suddenly, the blaze spread across the arms of a large, thin Heartless monster.

"What the hell?!" Kimiko screamed. "You tricked us!"

"The Cheshire Cat never tricks others," the Cheshire Cat said. "Your ship **is** this way. You just have to survive against that."

The Cheshire Cat disappeared. Akira and Kimiko attempted to open the door, but it was stuck. The flaming Heartless slammed its flaming arm towards the three of them. They all barely managed to dodge the attack.

Akira tried to get close enough to strike at it, but the heat from the flames became too intense for him to get close.

"How can I fight that thing?!" Akira asked. "I can't even get close!"

Kimiko threw her shuriken towards the Heartless. The Heartless managed to swipe her weapon away with its arms. It then turned its attention towards Luna.

"Luna!" Akira shouted.

"Run!!!" Kimiko exclaimed.

Luna just stood there, frozen with fear. Akira ran as fast as he could, but the Heartless was getting to her faster. It swung down its flaming arm. Luna closed her eyes in reflex. The attack never came. She opened her eyes and saw someone before her. He wore a brilliant, shining white fur cloak. His entire face from his nose up was covered by a wolf's head. His arms and legs were covered in armor. He wielded a snow-white Keyblade, which he was using to block the monster. The flames from the creature's hand merely bounced off of the warrior's cloak. He soon pushed the Heartless away.

"Are you alright?" the man asked, his voice deep and mysterious.

"I am," Luna said.

Akira and Kimiko joined them.

"Keyblade-wielder," the cloaked man said to Akira. "You'll need this to defeat the creature.

He held a glowing blue orb of light in his hand. He spread the light across Akira's Keyblade. Akira felt a cooling wind spread across him.

"What is this?" Akira asked.

"The first spell you will learn," the cloaked man said. "The spell is _Blizzard_."

"_Blizzard_?" Akira asked. As he said this word, he felt the chill once again.

"Focus the energy into the tip of your Keyblade and point it at the Heartless," the cloaked man said. "Imagine your foe becoming incased in ice."

"Alright," Akira said.

Akira pointed his Keyblade towards the Heartless. The Heartless began to walk towards Akira. Akira felt the energy build into the tip of his Keyblade.

"_Blizzard_!" Akira shouted.

A blast of cold energy shot from the Keyblade. The freezing energy eliminated the flames from the Heartless.

"Now you can finish it," the cloaked man said.

"Right," Akira said.

Akira charged for the Heartless and struck it as he ran passed by. The Heartless shook in pain before it exploded.

"Alright!" Kimiko cheered.

"Could you all keep quiet?" a familiar voice said. "I'm trying to sleep."

Akira looked towards the source of the voice and saw the doorknob. The doorknob yawned loudly, revealing a keyhole in its mouth. A beam of light shot from Akira's Keyblade and shot into the keyhole, locking it. A gummy block bounced out of the doorknob's mouth.

"It seems you have locked yet another world," the cloaked man said. "You were foolish to trust the Cheshire Cat. He will always give you the truth, but he will twist it as much as he can for his own pleasure."

"Thank you," Akira said. "Just who are you?"

"You may call me Azure," the man said. "Farewell, Akira Minamino."

In a flash of light, Azure disappeared.

"How did he know my name?" Akira asked.

After a moment, Kimiko had a look of shock on her face.

"Did…did he say Azure?!" Kimiko exclaimed. "As in 'Azure of the White Sky'?!"

"Who is he?" Akira asked.

"Only the greatest warrior ever to play the game!" Kimiko answered. "He was one of the original testers of the game. He is undefeated and is legendary. I can't believe we got to meet him first-hand! They said he disappeared from the face of the earth shortly after the game was released to the public."

"So this guy disappeared for a while, reappeared to help us, and disappeared again once he was done," Akira said. "And how did he know my name?!"

Kimiko saw a door in the distance.

"That must be where our ship is," Kimiko said. "Let's go."

Akira, Kimiko, and Luna stepped through the door, reappearing in the Gummy Garage.

"That world didn't make sense at all," Kimiko said. "Luckily, we will never have to go there again. I found this after you locked that keyhole."

Kimiko pulled out the Gummy Block that had fallen out of the keyhole.

"This Navigational Gummy will take us to a new world," Kimiko said. "Starting tomorrow, we're heading off to a new world! I'll see you later."

Kimiko logged off of the game. Akira walked up to Luna.

"I guess we'll meet up later, Luna," Akira said.

"I guess so," Luna said. "Thank you for saving me, Akira."

"No problem," Akira said, blushing. "I just did what anyone would. I'm just glad you're on the team. I guess a new adventure awaits us in the morning."

Akira logged out of the game.


	6. Chapter 6

**KINGDOM HEARTS **_**DX**_

Chapter 6: Land of Dragons

The next day, Akira logged back into the game. Instead of going through Traverse Town this time, Akira managed to figure out how to log straight into the Gummy Garage. The moment he got there, he was in for a surprise. The ship had increased in size, gained brand new weapons, and gotten clean over night. Akira looked around and saw Luna running up to him.

"Good morning, Akira!" Luna said.

"Morning," Akira said. "Did you…"

Kimiko logged into the garage as well. She looked at the Gummy Ship.

"What happened to my ship?!" Kimiko gasped.

"Did you do this, Luna?" Akira asked.

"I had a little help," Luna said.

"Who?" Kimiko asked.

Suddenly, two Chipmunks crawled up onto Luna's shoulders. They wore tiny lead aprons and gloves. One had a black nose and the other had a red nose.

"We have rats!" Kimiko screeched.

"Who are you calling rats?!" one of the Chipmunks asked angrily.

"We're Chipmunks," the other said.

"What are your names?" Akira asked.

"I'm Chip," said the black-nosed one.

"And I'm Dale," said the red-nosed one.

"They said that they are Gummy Ship Engineers," Luna said. "They're the ones who improved the ship."

"We didn't have much to work with, but we did our best," Chip said.

"Luna mentioned that you had a Navigational Gummy," Dale said. "We need to see it."

Kimiko handed the Navigational Gummy to Chip and Dale. The two of them ran into the ship.

"So we're going to fly to another world in a high-tech interstellar spaceship designed by chipmunks?" Akira asked.

The room was silent for a minute.

"We're ready to fly!" Chip announced from inside the ship.

Akira, Kimiko, and Luna stepped into the newly redesigned Gummy Ship. The interior had increased in size since Akira had last seen it. Kimiko rushed to the captain's seat, while Akira and Luna found a couple of passenger seats. Once everyone was buckled in, Chip and Dale began to activate the switches and buttons on the ship's dashboard. The front gate opened, revealing an interdimensional portal.

"And we're launching in 3…2…1…LAUNCH!" Kimiko shouted.

She pressed the ignition, sending the Gummy Ship rocketing through the portal. The ship flew faster and faster as they shot through Pseudo-space. As Heartless ships appeared, Kimiko shot them down with the new weapons. Soon, they exited Pseudo-space, revealing a new world. It looked like a giant Chinese palace.

"We've reached the Land of Dragons," Dale said.

"Please exit the ship in an orderly fashion," Chip said.

Akira, Kimiko, and Luna stepped out of the ship and found themselves in the Gummy Garage. They found a door on the other side of the garage and stepped through it. On the other side of the door was a thick forest of bamboo.

"I will never understand this game," Akira said.

The three of them traveled through the bamboo thicket until they reached a small village. They stopped at the first house they found.

"I wonder who lives here," Akira said, looking at the house.

"The Fa Family," Luna answered.

"How do you know that?" Akira asked.

"It says so on the front wall," Kimiko answered, pointing at a carved name on the front gate's wall.

The three of them then made their way to the front door. Akira knocked on the door, and a middle-aged woman opened it.

"You three must be here to see Mulan," she answered.

"I guess," Akira said.

"She's in the back," the woman said.

"Yeah, doing her 'chores'," an old woman behind her said.

Akira, Kimiko, and Luna made their way around the house.

"I wonder who Mulan is," Akira said.

"We're about to find out," Kimiko said.

They soon found the back yard, where a young black-haired woman was practicing various martial arts techniques using a rake as a bo staff.

"That looks like fun," Akira said.

The woman finished with a powerful downward strike, when Shadow Heartless began appearing around her.

"Heartless!" Akira and Kimiko exclaimed together.

Akira, Kimiko, and Luna ran down to help the woman out. The young woman began to fight off the Heartless using her rake. A Heartless jumped up from behind to strike her, but Akira knocked it away with his Keyblade. The four warriors then began to fight off the Heartless together until the monsters stopped appearing. The young woman turned towards Akira.

"Thank you for the help," she said. "You look familiar. Do you know someone named Sora?"

"Sora?" Akira asked. "I don't know a Sora. My name's Akira. These two are Kimiko and Luna."

"I am Mulan," the young woman replied. "I'm surprised you don't know Sora, seeing how you two wield the same weapon."

Akira looked at his Keyblade. He then remembered something. Back in the tutorial of the game, he saw an image of a boy wielding a Keyblade on the glass floors.

"I think…" Akira began.

"Mulan!" someone called out in the distance.

Everyone turned to face the direction in which the voice came from. He was a muscular young man with black hair tied back in a ponytail. He wore armor, indicating that he is in the military. He ran over to Mulan.

"That armor looks good on you, _General_ Shang," Mulan said.

"Thank you," Shang said as he ran up to her. "I'd like to talk to you about something…"

He looked over towards Akira, Kimiko, and Luna.

"…Alone," he finished.

Kimiko almost immediately realized what was going on.

"Alright," Kimiko said. "We'll…wait inside."

Kimiko dragged Akira and Luna back to the Fa House. When they were inside, Mulan's mother prepared tea for everyone. Kimiko looked outside a window, where she saw Mulan and Shang sitting underneath a tree. Shang looked as if he was asking Mulan something. Mulan shrieked with joy and immediately hugged him.

"She said yes!" Mulan's grandmother announced.

Her mother then began to cry tears of joy.

"I knew it," Kimiko said as she turned back towards her friends.

"Knew what?" Akira asked. "Mulan shrieked. So what?"

"How dense are you?!" Kimiko asked. "The General obviously just asked Mulan to marry him, and she said 'yes'."

"Really?" Luna asked.

"Yep," Kimiko said. "This is definitely romantic."

"Romance?" Akira asked. "Where's the action? I thought this was an action game."

"I win the pot!" Mulan's grandmother yelled happily.

"Actually," Mulan's father interrupted. "You bet he would propose before sundown. I bet he would propose before noon."

"But you don't gamble," her mother said.

"Betting against my mother isn't a 'gamble'," he said. "It's an investment."

"I'm getting out of here before everyone starts crying and junk," Akira said.

Akira left the room and walked by the family shrine.

"It is written!" a voice came from the shrine.

"Huh?" Akira thought. "What's that."

Akira got to the side of the shrine and put his ear as close as he could.

"Once a woman marries, her husbands ancestors take over the duty of guardianship," the voice continued.

"B…bu…but that can't be!" another voice complained.

"Oh but it is!" a third voice said. "You're out of a job!"

"Out of a pedestal!" a fourth voice said.

"And out of our hair!" a final voice shouted.

Akira then saw what looked like a small, red lizard roll out of the front of the shrine. Then he heard cheering coming from inside.

"That…is strange," Akira thought. "Whatever. I guess a videogame has to be strange sometimes."

After the lizard left, a single heartless appeared behind Akira. Akira noticed it just in time to destroy it.

"What's going on?" he thought.

Soon, it seemed that all of China learned of the proposal. Mulan and Shang were being congratulated by many people. Akira met up with his friends in the middle of the party.

"Where did you go?" Kimiko asked.

"Around," Akira answered.

Whenever Mulan or Shang were asked different questions about their marriage, they gave opposite answers.

"They seem more different than fire and water," Akira said.

"All relationships have a few issues," Kimiko said. "It just makes the game that much more realistic."

Suddenly, a solider on a horse burst into the party.

"General Shang! Fa Mulan!" the soldier announced. "A message from the Emperor."

He handed scrolls to both Mulan and Shang.

"Is there trouble?" Shang asked.

"Yes," the soldier answered. "You are to report to the palace!"

"Finally, some action!" Akira exclaimed. "Let's get ready for battle!"

Akira and his friends got ready for their adventure. Because he finished first, Akira waited outside for the rest of his group.

"Those two **are** too different," a voice from the shrine. "And once the infatuation wears off, their tree of life is going to end up with root rot."

"Again?" Akira thought.

He heard some squeaking after this was said.

"Sure she **seems** happy," the voice continued. "That's the real tragedy! The girl don't even realize how miserable she is! That's why I got to nip this thing in the bud."

The squeaking continued.

"This is not about my pedestal!" the voice continued. "This is about Mulan making the biggest mistake of my…I mean her life. Cri-kee, I'm going to break them up!"

"A pedestal?" Akira thought. "Does this have anything to do with Mulan's marriage."

Suddenly, two more Heartless appeared behind Akira. Akira managed to fight them off and destroy them.

"What's going on?!" Akira thought. "Every time I hear that voice, Heartless appear."

"Akira!" Kimiko called as she and Luna ran up to him.

"We heard fighting," Luna said. "What happened?"

Akira explained the current situation to his friends.

"So every time you hear this voice, Heartless appear and attack you?" Kimiko asked.

"Exactly!" Akira said. "I think that Mulan and Shang must be in danger!"

"You might just be hearing things," Kimiko said.

"I'm telling the truth!" Akira said.

"I believe you," Luna said.

"I knew I could count on you, Luna," Akira said as he grabbed her hands.

"_I knew I could count on you_," Kimiko mocked.

"Let's get moving," General Shang said as he and Mulan rode up to them on horses.

"Let's saddle up!" Akira said.

The five warriors rode on horses towards the Emperor's palace. They quickly arrived to the palace. The five of them were soon listening to the Emperor's orders. The Emperor was a tall man with a long, white beard and a yellow robe and hat.

"As we stand here, Mongol forces are moving closer to our border," the Emperor explained. "The threat of attack is growing everyday. As it is, our army's hopelessly outnumbered."

"Your majesty," Shang replied. "Let me lead my forces in a preemptive strike. Each of my warriors will fight like ten Mongols."

"No, General," the Emperor continued. "I plan to defeat this enemy without the use of force. Instead we'll form a union so strong, the Mongol forces won't dare to attack. An alliance with the kingdom of Qui Gong. We will become united through marriage. You will escort three princesses to Qui Gong. There, they will marry Lord Chin's son and seal this critical alliance."

Mulan looked shocked by what she just heard.

"Yes, your majesty," Shang replied.

"My advisors tell me the charts are clear," the Emperor continued. If this wedding does not take place in three days, the alliance will crumble, and the Mongols will destroy us. Mark my words, General: three days."

"Not a moment more, your majesty," Shang said.

"I know that face, Fa Mulan," the Emperor said. "What troubles you?"

"Your majesty," Mulan answered. "An arranged marriage?"

The Emperor gestured her to come closer, so she did.

"Rest assured, child," the Emperor said. "My daughters know exactly what they're doing."

"Your daughters?" Mulan asked.

"They consider it an honor to marry in the cause of peace," the Emperor reassured her.

"Your majesty," Mulan continued. "I…uh…I…"

"Apology accepted," the Emperor said. "General, how many troops do you estimate you'll need to accomplish this mission?"

"Besides these three: three," Shang said.

"Three companies?" the Emperor asked.

"Three men," Shang answered

"You surprise me, General," the Emperor exclaimed. "These are my children."

"This mission does not call for force but finesse," Shang explained. "We must become one with the countryside."

"As Emperor, I trust you," the Emperor said. "As a father, I implore you to choose your three soldiers wisely."

"I know just the men," Shang said. "Fearless, loyal, and disciplined."

"China's most honorable and noble soldiers," Mulan replied.

Akira, Kimiko, and Luna wondered who exactly these mighty soldiers must be.

Meanwhile, at the matchmaker's house, three men got kicked out. One was large, fat, and bald. The second was tall and lanky with a topknot hairstyle. The third was short and muscled with a black left eye and a topknot hairstyle.

"And stay out!" the ugly matchmaker shouted angrily. "I've found wives for hundreds of men, but the Golden Dragon of Unity himself couldn't find matches for you three! Come back when you get personalities!"

She then slammed the door shut.

"Well," the thin one shouted back. "That's a fine way to treat China's greatest…"

Before he could finish, he was hit in the head with a pot thrown by the matchmaker.

"What's her problem?" the muscled one asked. "All I asked for was a woman who would worship the dirt I walked on."

"I just simply asked for someone who would cook for me morning, noon, and night," the fat one said.

"I just wanted a girl who likes to laugh," the thin one said. "And thinks I'm a god."

"Perhaps we weren't specific enough," the fat one commented.

They began to brush the dirt off of them. At that moment, Mulan, Shang, and Akira's group rode up behind them.

"These guys are China's greatest warriors?" Kimiko asked.

The three warriors then noticed them. They ran up to them.

"Mulan!" they said together. "General Shang!"

"If you guys aren't too busy disturbing the peace, I need you to join me and Mulan on a mission," Shang laughed.

"To save China?!" the thin one asked.

"Naturally," Mulan answered.

"I'll be leaving behind a few broken hearts, but count me in," the muscled one said.

"Sign me up!" the thin one said.

"When do we start, General?" the fat one asked.

"Tonight," Shang answered.

"Um…who are they, General Shang?" the thin one asked.

"They will be joining us on our mission," Shang answered. "They are Akira, Kimiko, and Luna."

"Glad to meet you," the muscled one said. "I'm Yao."

"Ling," the thin one said.

"And Chien-Po," the fat one finished.

"Nice to meet you," Akira said.

That evening, everyone met outside of the Emperor's palace. The three princesses stepped outside, accompanied by their father. Akira could barely make out what they looked like. The three of them were of different heights. The tallest one had a purple fan, the medium one had a red fan, and the shortest one had a yellow fan. They all gracefully walked towards the carriage prepared for them. The tallest and shortest sisters stepped into it first. As the medium sister stepped into the carriage, she lost her right shoe. Yao ran over to her and picked up the shoe for her. They then looked into each other's eyes. They both looked at each other lovingly. Yao then held the shoe out and she placed her foot into it. She then stepped into the carriage. As Yao ran back to the other warriors, he had a love-struck look on his face.

"We are about to depart, your highnesses," Shang said. "You have my word that we'll arrive swiftly and safely."

"My sisters and I thank you, General Shang," the tallest sister replied.

Mulan then came up to them with a blanket.

"Permit me to introduce Fa Mulan," Shang said.

"It is a privilege to meet the hero of China," the middle sister said.

"I leave you in her capable hands," Shang said. "Stand ready, men!"

Shang then left the carriage and returned to his men. The Emperor then walked up to him.

"General Shang," the Emperor said. "Though I trust your soldiers, permit me to add a few more members to your team."

"Sure, your majesty," Shang said.

"They are experienced warriors from a far-off land," the Emperor said. "They have assured me that the Mongols won't touch a hair on my daughters."

Three more warriors appeared from behind the Emperor. All three of them were dressed in ninja attire. The one to the right wore a dark-green ninja outfit. He had no weapons on him. The one to the left wore a blood-red ninja outfit. He had a large shuriken similar to Kimiko's on his back. The one in the middle, whom Akira presumed to be the leader, had a deep-blue ninja outfit and wielded two katana.

"It can't be!" Kimiko exclaimed.

"Who are they?" Akira asked.

"They're the legendary all-ninja team!" Kimiko answered. "They're called the Shadow Soldiers. They'll take on any mission for the right cost."

"I see you are a fellow ninja," the leader said. "Allow us to introduce ourselves. I am Yasuhara, but my men know me as Okashira."

"I am Akio," the red ninja said.

"And I am Taiki," the green ninja said.

"Though the three of us prefer not to have anyone else hinder our mission, we will accept your assistance," Yasuhara said. "Just do not get in our way."

"He sounds a little conceited," Akira commented.

"Everyone, move out!" Shang called out.

The carriage, and everyone guarding it, began to make their way out of the palace.

-------

Sorry about the lack of updates. Preparing for college and my job made me busy. I'll try to update whenever I can.

-Phoenix Neo


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